


racing through my brain

by sopaloma



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 12:44:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11578332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopaloma/pseuds/sopaloma
Summary: He knows it's wrong to want to her but she's just so pretty.AU where Jughead and Betty used to be step-siblings and Jughead has a lot of inappropriate feelings.





	racing through my brain

**Author's Note:**

> title from The La's, "There She Goes"
> 
> I have no idea what this is - part Clueless AU (but not really) and part Friends with Benefits trope. It's also excessively long. 
> 
> Mostly fluffy, flirty goodness with a bit of smut thrown in for good measure.
> 
> Also, Polly and JB don't exist in this universe, and Alice is much cooler.

He knows it's wrong to want to her but she's just so fucking pretty.

He feel likes a pervert, leant up against the doorway watching Betty and her two friends in their tiny workout clothes, imitating the yoga video in front of them.

Betty must agree because she yells, "Stop being creepy, Juggie."

She doesn't even turn to look at him so he's not sure how she knows he's being... well, he wouldn't use the word _creepy_. More appreciative. And he's only got eyes for her.

"Do you have to do this in the living room?" he asks, collapsing onto the couch behind them.

She turns to him, hands on her hips. "Why are you even here?" she snaps. "This isn't your house anymore. Go home."

"Alice said I could hang out here." She rolls her eyes at that.

"I swear she loves you more than she loves me," she mutters, turning back to the screen.

"I don't mind you being here, Jughead," Betty's redheaded friend - Cheryl, he thinks - says, throwing him a wink over her shoulder.

She purposefully bends over into a new pose and he suddenly finds the view outside the window very interesting.

"Cheryl!" he hears Betty shout.

"What? He's in college," Cheryl responds as if that explains everything.

"Where's Archie?" the brunette asks.

He knows this one - Veronica. Archie had hooked up with her at a party a few months back and he knows he's seen her since.

He shrugs. "You'd probably know better than me. I haven't heard from him all day."

Veronica seems annoyed by his response but he's not sure why.

"Can you get out of here?" Betty moans, exasperated. "We still have thirty minutes left of the workout and you're being distracting."

"Fine. But only because you asked so nicely, my dear step-sister," he teases.

She pokes her tongue out at him in response. He's not sure why he said that last part; maybe he has a kink. She's not technically his step-sister anymore after Alice and FP's divorce and he definitely doesn't think about her in a sisterly way.

At least, he hadn't last night when he'd been jerking off and she'd popped into his thoughts, unbidden.

He likes teasing her, likes seeing the flush in her cheeks as she gets more and more frustrated with him, and he imagines making her flush for different reasons. She's fucking cute, too, when she gets angry, her hands on her hips and her face pinched up.

It's strictly platonic teasing, of course. He thinks she's hot and he wants to put his hands on her and he's definitely thought about her once or twice in the shower, but he can never be with her that way. Alice would kill him and he really needs Alice to like him.

To his surprise, Alice had asked Jughead to come visit her after the divorce. They'd always gotten along, and she and his dad hadn't ended on bad terms, but he hadn't expected her to actively seek out his company when he was no longer living with her.

Then she'd offered him a part-time job as her assistant and he couldn't turn down the opportunity. Alice was a well-respected journalist in the state and any experience he gained with her would look great on his resume and when applying to grad programs.

Alice likes to do a lot of her work from home so Jughead had been hanging out there a lot, much to Betty's distaste. He and Betty had never had a bad relationship - he'd been in college for two of the three years they'd lived together so they hadn't seen all that much of each other, and even when they did they usually just spent their time trying to annoy one another.

It had all been in good fun, but now Betty was eighteen and popular at school and she didn't want her grumpy step-brother hanging around when she brought her friends over.

 

 

 

"Mom, can you proof-read this when you get a chance?"

Betty walked into the dining room, article in hand. The table was covered in historic articles that Jughead had picked up from the library today and he was currently trying to put them in some sort of logical order.

Alice took the paper from her hands. "Sure, sweetie. I'll read it tonight before I go to bed."

Betty, ever the overachiever, had single-handedly started up her school's newspaper again and often had her mother read over the articles before they were published. Alice was happy to do it - she loved that Betty was following in her footsteps and encouraged it at every turn.

"Need some help?" Betty asks, taking a seat across from him.

"Yes, actually." He hands her a stack of articles. "Can you separate these into piles based on the date they were published?"

"No problem."

She got to work, sorting through one pile and then two others before Jughead had even finished his second. God, she was efficient. Must be a Cooper trait.

"Anything else?" she asks, looking over the stacks on the table.

"Nope, all done. Thanks, Betts."

She rises from the table and stretches on the spot, the movement pulling up her shirt and exposing her smooth, toned stomach. He can't help it, he stares.

"I'm gonna shower. Give me a shout if you need any more help."

"Will do," he says, trying to school his face into a neutral expression.

He can feel Alice's gaze on him and he reluctantly turns to look at her once Betty's gone to her room. Her eyes are narrowed and she's glaring at him over her glasses.

"Don't even think about it, Jones."

"What?" he asks innocently but he knows his ears are red.

"She's off-limits. She's practically your sister."

 _Step-sister_ , Jughead thinks, but he knows better than to say it out loud.

 

 

 

Messing with Betty is honestly his new favorite hobby. She's so quick to get angry and she makes it so easy for him.

"Spongebob, Betty? Really? Aren't you a little old for that?"

She jumps at the sound of his voice and glares at him.

"Don't you ever go home?"

He drops down next to her on the couch and grins. "Sometimes."

She ignores him, turning back to the cartoon. She has a bowl of popcorn in her hands and she slaps his hand away when he tries to steal some.

"So what's happening in Bikini Bottom?"

She smirks at him. "You're definitely too old for Spongebob."

"Hey! I'm only two years older than you. And I happen to like Spongebob. Squidward is my spirit animal."

"Why make fun of me for watching it if you like it so much?" she asks and her face is doing that pinching thing.

"Because you look cute when you get all angry at me for teasing you."

Her neck flushes pink at his words and she turns her head away quickly, hiding her face with her hair.

"You shouldn't say stuff like that to me. I'm basically your sister."

 _Step-sister_ , he corrects in his mind and he has got to stop doing that.

"Come on, Betty. I'm only messing with ya."

She sighs and places the popcorn bowl onto the floor.

"You always are, Jug, and it's getting a little old."

Her posture is stiff and she's still hiding behind her hair. He thinks she might actually be angry with him and that wasn't how this worked.

"Hey," he says, poking her side. She ignores him. "Betty, are you actually mad at me?"

She's still ignoring him - so yes, she is - and he decides to resort to dirty tactics to get her to stop.

"Juggie!" she gasps as he tickles her waist, his fingers moving relentlessly.

She wriggling on the couch, trying to get away from him, and she slides down onto the cushions of the sofa. He almost falls on top of her but catches himself at the last minute, bracing his weight with his hands.

They stare at each other. Her chest is heaving as she catches her breath and her cheeks are flushed with color.

She licks her lips and his eyes leave hers to trace the movement.

He's about to do something really stupid, so he blurts out, "Got you to talk to me!"

She huffs and shoves at his shoulder, pushing him away from her.

"You're such a jerk!"

They settle onto the couch again, close enough that her thigh touches his. She holds the bowl of popcorn out to him and he wordlessly takes a handful.

 

 

 

The party is in full-swing when she and Cheryl arrive. They pay Reggie the fee for the keg at the door and are immediately presented with two cups of beer.

Reggie wraps an arm around each of them and steers them into the throng of people in the living room.

"Have fun tonight, ladies, and remember - if you're ever feeling lonely, Mantle is here," he tells them, flexing his muscles with a wink.

Betty wrinkles his nose. "Why do so many girls hook up with him? He's such a player and his game is terrible."

"Reggie's fun," Cheryl argues, a knowing smile on her lips. "And we aren't all holding out for that special someone like you, B."

Cheryl is clearly mocking her and Betty really wishes she wasn't the only virgin among her friends. She gets enough teasing at home from Jughead without her friends joining in.

Speaking of, they spot Jughead across the room, drink in hand and a sullen expression on his face. He even looks miserable at parties, she thinks.

Then she spots Archie and Veronica sucking face next to him and she thinks his misery is justified.

They make their way over to him.

"Nothing better to do than hang out at high school parties?"

He shrugs. "Archie wanted to see Veronica and I can't seem to say no to him," he explains, irritated.

"Hey, Jughead," Cheryl pipes up beside her. "Love the braces," she comments, tugging on the material hanging against his leg. "Very 'Leo in Titanic'."

Betty roles her eyes. She will never understand Cheryl's pursuit of Jughead. Yes, he's hot in a nineties-hipster sort of way, but he was _so_ annoying.

"Cheryl." Jughead nods in her direction. "Lovely to see you, as always."

Despite his polite words his tone is dismissive and Betty takes a sip of beer to hide her smile at the shocked look on Cheryl's face. Most men fell to their knees around Cheryl.

"Are you just going to stand here by yourself all night? " she asks.

"I'm not alone," he argues, gesturing to their friends beside him. "I have Varchie to keep me company. And what great company they are."

Betty pulls a face at their sloppy kissing - Archie now has Veronica pinned against the wall - and says, "Have fun with that. I'm gonna go see who's here."

She pulls Cheryl along with her and walks towards the back of Reggie's house to find some more of their friends.

A little while later they find Ethel in the kitchen with a few other people playing 'suck and blow'. She joins in at Cheryl's insistence but she's not pleased about being stuck next to Chuck Clayton.

"Come on, Cooper," he says, nudging her shoulder. "You know you wouldn't mind a taste." He licks his lips for good measure.

She sighs, silently cursing Cheryl.

She's pretty sure Chuck messes up on purpose so he can kiss her and she pulls back as quickly as she can. He tastes like cigarettes and smells like overpowering cologne and was this what all of the other girls at her school swooned over?

They're moving around the group again, Betty coming dangerously close to losing her grip on the card and kissing Cheryl - much to the delight of Chuck and Reggie - when Veronica runs over to her in tears.

"V, what's wrong?" Betty asks, holding her by the shoulders. "What happened?"

"Archie happened," she sobs and Betty sighs, wraps her up in a hug. The saga of Veronica and Archie was never-ending. "We were about to go upstairs when this blonde chick walks past and says, 'it's good to see you again, Andrews' all flirty and gross. When I asked him who she was he said, 'just some girl,' but he wouldn't look at me, and I know he slept with her!"

Betty wants to point out that she and Archie aren't exclusive and that Archie has hooked up with other people in the past because Veronica won't tell him how she really feels, but she knows she'll be ignored.

"Lets get you home, V."

Veronica shakes her head. "I don't want you to leave because of me, I can get home by myself."

"No, it's okay." She glances over at Cheryl who is now making out with Reggie, playing card on the floor at their feet. "I'm kind of over this party anyway."

"I can give you a ride," Ethel offers and Betty thanks her.

The three of them are about to leave when Chuck grabs her arm.

"Are you going home?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I can drive you. You don't live that far from me."

"Haven't you been drinking?" she asks, looking for a legitimate reason to turn him down.

"Nope." He grins and she doesn't like it at all. "Got a drug test on Monday. Coach would kick my ass."

That doesn't seem to have stopped Reggie but she doesn't say that.

"I can take Veronica if you want to go with Chuck," Ethel suggests, accommodating as ever, and Betty could hit her.

She can't think of another excuse quick enough. "Umm... okay."

And that's how she ends up in the passenger seat of Chuck's too-expensive car. She doesn't say much, and neither does he, but she can feel him looking over at her every few seconds.

Betty had been staring aimlessly out the window but when she focuses she realizes they're nowhere near her neighborhood.

"Where are you going? This isn't the way to my house."

"I thought we could take a little detour," he says and then pulls into the trail that leads to Sweetwater Point. _Shit_.

He stops the car.

"Chuck, just take me home."

He smiles slyly and rests his hand on her knee. "Don't be like that, Cooper. We both know you want this. I see you at school, you know, teasing me in that little blue skirt."

"That's my cheerleading uniform," she protests and her voice sounds weak.

"It's fucking hot," he mutters and then leans forward to kiss her.

"Chuck, stop."

She pushes herself back against the door, her hands shoving against his chest. This doesn't deter him as he moves to kiss her neck and his hand slides up her thigh and beneath her skirt.

"Get off me!" she shouts, using all of her strength to push him away.

He looks shocked by her force and she uses his to confusion to her advantage, opening the door and quickly climbing out.

The passenger window slides down.

"What is your problem, Cooper? Get back in the car."

She pulls her phone out of her pocket. "Fuck off, Chuck."

"Fine. Be that way." He starts the car again. "All the guys told me you were an uptight little virgin but I thought they were wrong - that it was just an act. Guess I was the one that was wrong."

He drives off, leaving her alone in the empty darkness of the Point. Her hands are shaking as she scrolls through her contacts, looking for Jughead's name.

"Betty?" he says when he picks up and he sounds confused.

"Hey, Jug. Are you still at the party?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Do you think you could get a cab and come pick me up? I'm at Sweetwater Point."

He laughs. "Why are you at Sweetwater Point?"

"Chuck Clayton was giving me a ride and he drove us here. He wouldn't take no for an answer so I got out of his car, and now I'm stranded."

It's silent on the other end for a few seconds, then, "I've got my car. I'll come get you." He sounds angry.

"Weren't you drinking tonight?"

"It was just Coke. I'll be there in ten."

She knows it takes at least twenty minutes to get to the Point from Reggie's house but she also knows she'll be seeing him in ten minutes.

 

 

 

His headlights illuminate her as he pulls into the Point clearing. She looks scared and cold, dressed only in the denim skirt and white top she wore to the party.

She hurries into the car and he turns up the heat.

"Thanks for doing this." She doesn't look at him as she says it.

"I wasn't going to leave you stranded, Betty. Are you okay?"

"Yes," she says immediately, and then, tearfully, "No."

He feels slightly sick when he sees a lone tear slide down her cheek.

She wipes the tear away, frustrated. "God, none of this would have happened if I wasn't a fucking _virgin_."

She spits out the last word and Jughead is taken aback by her admission. He doesn't remember Betty having any boyfriends in the past but she's pretty and _nice_ and she's on the cheerleading team. He figured she must have slept with someone.

"Would you have slept with him if you hadn't been a virgin?"

" _No_."

"Then don't say something so stupid," he admonishes. "What he did had nothing to do with you. Chuck's an asshole, end of story."

She starts crying then, really crying, and Jughead isn't sure what to do. He shifts over in his seat and wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey, don't cry, Betts. Please don't cry. Pretty girls aren't supposed to cry," he rambles as he strokes her hair behind her ear, trying to soothe her. "You deserve so much better than being treated like that. Don't cry over what he did."

He reels back in shock when she leans forward to kiss him.

"Betty, stop."

Her eyes widen as if she's just realized what she's doing and she slumps back into her seat.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Jug." She looks up at him with those big, green eyes filled with worry. "Please forget that just happened. My heads all messed up. I don't know what I'm doing."

He sighs and starts the car. "It's okay, Betts. You've had a rough night."

They drive back in silence but the atmosphere is weird in the car. He knows turning her down was the right thing to do but part of him wishes he had kissed her - replaced the memory of Chuck with something much better.

When they pull up to her house she turns to him before she gets out of the car.

"Thank you for coming to get me. And I'm sorry... again." She brushes a quick kiss against his cheek and smiles. "Say hi to FP for me. I haven't seen him in a while and I miss him."

Jughead smiles at that, his cheek tingling from the memory of her kiss. "I'll tell him."

"Night."

"Night, Betts."

 

 

 

He hasn't seen much of her since the night of the party and he wonders if she's ignoring him, so he's surprised when she takes a seat next to him one night while he's sorting through more research.

He's at the dining table again with one of Alice's co-workers, John, who's helping her cover her current story. Alice is working late in the office. It's a big story about the long history of fraud a prominent family in the next county has committed and they're working tirelessly to find any record of this possible fraud that they can.

"Can I help?" she asks, tucking one of her legs beneath her.

He smiles at her. "Sure." He points to a stack of paper. "Go through that and if you see any 1976 dates, highlight them."

She works methodically, highlighting any dates she finds in neon yellow.

Jughead hears her sigh at one point and looks over at her. She pulls her hair free of it's usual tight ponytail and runs her fingers through the strands, her eyes closed as she massages her scalp.

He slightly mesmerised by the sight. She looks peaceful and relaxed - serene, almost - as her fingers move through the waves, and there's a soft smile of contentment pulling at her lips. He knows Betty's pretty but sometimes he looks at her and he's shocked by just how beautiful she is.

He hears John clear his throat and he blinks, and quickly pulls himself together before Betty catches him staring.

When he looks over at John he has an amused smile on his face. Jughead's face feels hot.

They've been working for a while when he notices Betty's been moving fast and is now on her third stack.

"Shit, Betts - you only needed to highlight the first set. The others are for something else."

"Oh, fuck," she mutters, her eyes wide with worry.

"It's okay," he assures her, but he knows this is going to add to the workload. "I should have told you. It's my fault."

"What's going on?" John asks.

"Betty's been highlighting the wrong articles," he explains. "We'll have to make new copies."

John curses. "Goddamnit."

Betty looks upset and mumbles. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to mess it up. I'll go upstairs, leave you guys to it."

She runs off to her room as John hisses, "It took me a whole week to get those articles together, Jughead! Alice is going to be pissed if this sets us back."

"I know, alright." Jughead sighs. "I'll tell Alice this was my fault."

"Well maybe if you weren't so busy mooning over the girl, you would have explained things properly," John snaps. He gathers up the papers in front of him and shoves them roughly into his bag. "I'm going home. I have a headache."

"John, I'm sorry!" he calls out, following after John but he's already out the door.

"Have I fucked everything up?"

He turns at the sound of her voice and finds Betty sat at the top of the staircase, her arms wrapped around her knees.

He sighs heavily and climbs up, sitting down on the space beside her on the step.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. I'll fix it."

Betty bites her lip and her shoulders slump. She's still upset and he's annoyed at himself for not paying more attention.

He thinks she's sulking until she says in a teasing tone, "You were mooning over me?"

He rubs the back of his neck, uncomfortable. "You heard that?"

She nods, teeth still sunk into her full bottom lip.

"You can't blame a guy for a checking out the beautiful girl sat next to him."

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asks softly, her eyes big and glossy.

He rolls his eyes, smirks at her. "You know you're gorgeous."

At least he hopes she does.

Her gaze drops to her lap and there's a pink tint to her cheeks and he loves putting that flush there for a whole other reason.

She looks up at him, meets his gaze and licks her lips. Each move is deliberate, purposeful. He knows what she's about to do and he thinks he should probably stop her because this definitely isn't going to end well, but this isn't like the weird moment in his car. She looks determined and sure of herself and he really wants to kiss her.

Their lips meet and they're even softer than he imagined - and he's thought about her lips more than he'd like to admit. She's tentative and sweet in a good way, the best way.

She makes a little noise in the back of her throat as he slips his tongue into her mouth and his hands move up to cup her face. Her hands are resting on his knees and she pushes forward to get closer, but it's never close enough.

When he pulls back, her eyes are still closed and that serene look from earlier is there again. He kisses the apple of her cheek, then her cheekbone and she smiles.

"It's getting late. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

He nods, his thumb now rubbing circles into the skin behind her ear. "I should get going. I have a paper I need to finish for class tomorrow."

They both stand and she rises up on her toes to kiss him quickly.

"Goodnight, Juggie."

He's still thinking about their kiss when he goes to sleep.

 

 

 

It's been three days since she kissed him on the stairs and she wants to do it again.

Following the disastrous night of Reggie's party, she'd been feeling strangely shy around Jughead. She thought it was because she'd tried to kiss him in a moment of confusion - she had wanted comfort and he'd been there with his sweet words and soothing touches, like a knight in a knitted beanie. But the rejection hadn't stung like she'd expected. He'd been right to stop her.

It was after that night when she realized that despite the impulsiveness of her decision in his car, she didn't think kissing Jughead would have been the worst thing in the world. In fact, it sounded kind of appealing.

The realization of her feelings had made her feel weird. She actively avoided him for a couple of weeks, even going so far as to hide behind the wall when she unexpectedly found him in her kitchen.

She'd told Veronica about her new desire to kiss Jughead and she had rolled her eyes.

"Are you seriously trying to pretend that this is new? You two have been flirting with each other ever since your parents started dating. Jug being all cute and chivalrous is what made you admit that it's more than that, and now you can screw his brains out."

Ignoring her indelicate phrasing, she wondered if Veronica was right. She and Jughead had always had a teasing relationship - borderline antagonistic, somedays - and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't noticed how he looked at her sometimes. Still, admitting to herself that she wanted Jughead had been hard.

She'd finally plucked up the courage to talk to him again when he was working in her dining room that night. Her plan to help him with the work to distract herself from saying anything dumb had backfired, but the night had ended pretty well.

And now she wanted to kiss him again.

Two days later, when he arrived at her house uninvited, as was typical of him, she found him in her kitchen alone. He was making a sandwich and she wanted to reprimand him but she knew her mother had probably put extra food in the fridge for him and his ridiculous appetite. Plus, she had more important things to discuss.

"Hey, Juggie."

He smiles at her as he spreads butter over bread.

"Hey, Betts. How's it going?"

"Great," she says as she leans against the island. "And you?"

"Good. Glad you're not being weird with me."

She smiles. "Why would I be weird with you, Jug?"

He frowns. "Uh... because we kissed two days ago and before that we'd only ever mercilessly mocked each other."

"Yeah, about that..." She moves closer to him, her arm now brushing his. "I think we should do it again."

He raises one eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yep, and more."

He doesn't look at her but she can see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows.

"More?"

"Yeah, like a friends with benefits situation." He doesn't look particularly thrilled about that so she continues. She doesn't know where this confidence is coming from but she's going with it. "We can't date each other - our parents would kill us, if we didn't kill each other first - but I liked kissing you and I think you liked kissing me. And I'm not very experienced but I think you could make it... good for me."

He looks flustered at her words and she likes having this affect on him.

"Would you... would you be opposed to that?"

He shakes his head. "I wouldn't be opposed to that."

She smiles brightly and pulls herself up onto the island. "Soo, can we make-out then?"

He laughs. "Impatient, much?"

She only grins in response.

He seems to debate his next course of action before he closes the distance between them, slotting himself between her legs. She gasps at the new proximity between them and he swallows the sound.

She slide her hands up his chest and around his neck, lets her fingers play along his hairline. He seems to like that because he moans into her mouth and she files that information away for future make-outs.

His hands are all over her body, sliding over her ribs, her breasts, under her shirt. They come to rest on the small of her back and he pushes her against him, her back arching as she tries to get even closer.

His lips are bruising and his tongue is soft as it massages hers. He's a really good kisser and she thinks this may be the best idea she's ever come up with.

Jughead pulls away, smirking when she follows after his mouth.

"When you said you were inexperienced - how far have you gone with a guy?"

She tries not to look too embarrassed when she says, "I gave a guy a handjob at a party last year."

Jughead's eyes narrow. "So no one has ever made you come?"

"I've done that to myself," she admits, flushing. His eyes look slightly darker at her admission and he traces the heat in her cheeks with the backs of his fingers. "But no - no one has ever..."

"Well that's unacceptable," he declares and lifts her from the counter as if she weighs nothing. She giggles and wraps her legs around his waist.

He carries her into the living room and deposits her onto the couch. He's on top of her in seconds, settled between her legs, and she's so happy she wore a skirt today.

If possible, his kisses are hungrier than before. He tugs her shirt up and over her head and pulls down the cup of her bra to expose one of her breasts. It's all happening so fast that she doesn't have time to be embarrassed about being half-naked, can only sigh in pleasure at his fingers tease her nipple.

"This okay?" he asks and she nods, licking her lips. "God, you're so hot," he groans.

He takes his own shirt off and his beanie, and Betty's hands roam the smooth, olive-toned skin of his chest and stomach. He's toned, but not overly muscular, and there's a trail of dark hair leading to his belt and then beneath.

Jughead begins kissing her neck and she quickly glances at the clock on the wall. They have hours until her mom gets home - there's no risk of them getting caught.

She tenses up when Jughead's hand slips beneath the hem of her skirt, trailing across the sensitive skin on her inner thighs.

"Relax," he murmurs against her ear. "I'm gonna make you feel really good, I promise."

Betty nods and tries to loosen up. Her breath hitches slightly as his fingers meet her underwear, stroke along the wet cotton.

"Fuck, you're so wet, Betts."

She whimpers when his fingers slip beneath the material and drag through her wetness before circling her clit. He maintains the pressure on her clit with his thumb as he slides two fingers inside of her, curling up and finding a spot she's never been able to find herself.

"Juggie," she moans loudly and she can feel him smiling against her neck.

She comes embarrassingly quick, her hands buried in his hair and tugging hard. She's panting against his mouth and she feels the stickiness of his fingers against her thigh as he pulls them out of her.

He kisses her one last time before rolling onto his back beside her.

"Are you okay?"

She looks at him incredulously. "Are you serious? Of course I'm okay. Jesus, that was..." She trails off.

Jughead smiles and presses a kiss to her bare shoulder. She looks down at the obvious bulge in his jeans and presses her hand against his thigh.

"Do you want me to..."

He swallows. "You don't have to. I can take care of it."

She turns onto her side, props her head up on the arm of the sofa.

"I want to," she whispers and kisses him hard.

He lets out a shaky breath. "Okay."

He quickly opens his belt and unzips his fly. Betty slips her hand beneath his boxers and pulls out his cock. He's thicker than she expected and his skin is warm against her hand.

She pulls her hand away to lick her palm and Jughead groans at the sight. She closes her hand around him and pumps him slowly. His arm is trapped between them and there's some awkward shuffling as he manoeuvres it around her waist. The couch probably wasn't the best place for them to do this.

She tightens her grip and moves faster, her thumb circling the tip of his cock on the upstroke. His moans are quiet but his fingers are wrapped tightly around her hip. She wonders if she'll find bruises there.

She starts pressing kisses against his neck, hoping to get him there faster and it draws a stronger reaction from him.

"Shit, Betty."

She smirks against his throat and kisses a path up to his jaw and then his lips. She continues to work him with her hand, feels him get harder and harder in her grip, but their kisses are languid. It's light pressure compared to the movement of her hand.

It's clear when he's about to come. His breathing quickens and he grows impossibly hard and his fingers squeeze her hip too tight. He pushes his mouth against hers and kisses her hard and messy as he shoots all over her hand.

She strokes him a few more times to work him through it and then pulls away, her hand sticky and shiny with him. He lies back against the sofa, his eyes shut as he tries to regulate his breathing.

He starts laughing breathlessly. "I haven't had a handjob since I was sixteen."

She feels her face heat up at his comment and tries to sit up, and he must notice her embarrassment because he pulls her down against him.

"Hey, I didn't mean that was a bad thing. That was so fucking good, Betty. I haven't come that hard in years."

She nuzzles against his shoulder and leans up to kiss his jaw. "I need to wash my hands."

"Shit, sorry." He stands and pulls her up from the sofa by her clean hand. He re-adjusts the cup of her bra that's still folded down and smiles at her. "There."

"Thanks."

He kisses again and then pulls her along to the kitchen with him.

"I never got to finish my sandwich after you so rudely interrupted me." He smirks at her over shoulder. "And after that, I'm fucking starving."

 

 

 

As much fun as sneaking around is, Jughead hates that he has to be so careful all the time. It's hard to remember that he can't just wrap his arm around her shoulder when she sits next to him on the couch or grab her by the waist when she passes by him in the kitchen.

He loves that he gets to touch her in intimate ways that no one else has but he finds himself craving to touch her in more innocent, affectionate ways as well.

He briefly considers spending less time at the Cooper house and meeting up with Alice at her office to work instead, but he knows she'd get suspicious if he suddenly stopped coming around.

He thinks Betty gets off on the risk. She's always touching him - a hand on his thigh, fingers brushing against his neck - when her mom is in the room and ignores him when he tries to push her hands away.

The first time she goes down on him, it's in her bedroom with her door open. He's so close to coming - his toes curling up in his boots, his hand clutching a fistful of Betty's hair - when he hears Alice open the front door. Betty just keeps working his length with her hand and her mouth, her free hand holding his hips down to stop him from pushing her off of him.

He comes down her throat as Alice's high heel hits the bottom of the staircase.

This thing between them is exciting and forbidden and he's never enjoyed being with someone so much. It's the most fun he's ever had with a girl.

He loves learning her body and what she likes - she almost snatches the hair out of his head the first time he sucks her clit - and hearing her breathy sighs and moans. She's so beautiful, especially when she reaches that peak, and when he looks down at her smiling face after she's just come under his tongue he thinks he must be the luckiest bastard in the world.

It's not just the sex that he likes either. When they're truly alone they talk about stuff, mundane stories from school and things that are bothering them. And after they've come together and they're feeling soft and happy in each other's presence, they laugh together and whisper to each other, and Jughead wonders if this is what being in love feels like.

It's Archie that points out that yes, that's exactly what it feels like.

They go to a party - him, Betty, Archie and Veronica. Varchie are back on and they're making it very clear to the mix of college and high school students in Cheryl's house.

"Do you want a beer?" Jughead asks her as they enter the grand living room of the Blossom mansion.

"Yeah, thanks," she replies. He starts heading towards the kitchen when Betty pulls him back by the hand. "You know, Cheryl's house has a lot of bedrooms."

He smirks down at her, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, yeah?"

She smiles, all innocence. "Yep. When you get back, maybe we could go check one of them out."

"Sure," he responds huskily and he definitely doesn't run to kitchen, but his pace couldn't be considered walking either.

He's pulling two beers out of a cooler when Archie corners him.

"What's going on between you and Betty?"

"Why?" Jughead asks and he couldn't sound anymore guilty if he tried. "What's Veronica said?" He knows Betty's told Veronica about them.

Archie gives him an odd look. "Nothing, man. I just noticed you guys talking back there and you looked even flirtier than usual."

If Jughead's hands were free, he'd reach up to rub his neck right now. His nervous tic.

"We're kind of... friends with benefits."

"What?!" Archie's so loud that a few people turn to look at him. "When did that happen? I thought you guys hated each other," he says in a quieter tone.

Jughead pulls a face. "We never hated each other, we just liked riling each other up. And it started about a month ago. It was her idea."

Archie wiggles his eyebrows, cheesy and suggestive. "So now you're riling each other up in another way."

Jughead groans. "Shut up."

"I still don't understand how this happened. I mean, she's your sister, dude."

"Step-sister," Jughead corrects and _Christ, why do people keep saying that?_

"Whatever. I still don't know how you managed to get your hand down her pants."

Jughead shrugs. "I've always kind of had a thing for her. I guess she felt the same way because one night we kissed, and then it moved from there."

"Your dad's gonna kill you," Archie points out. "And so will her mom."

"Well they're not going to find out so it doesn't matter."

Archie scoffs. "Well if you're doing as good of a job of hiding that you're in love with her as you did in there, they're gonna realize sooner or later."

As soon as Archie says it, it hits him like a tonne of bricks. _He's in love with her_.

Of course he's fucking in love with her. She's the prettiest thing he's ever seen and she's so goddamn sweet, and when she laughs at something he's said his stomach clenches and he feels like he's walking on air.

"I'm not talking about this right now," Jughead says dismissively and walks off in search of Betty.

She takes her beer from him and takes a long pull before taking his hand in hers. They push through the crowds and head upstairs, entering the first empty bedroom they find.

His palms are sweaty and he's having trouble meeting her eye. He hates Archie so much in that moment.

Betty takes Jughead's beer and puts them both on the bedside table.

"Hi," she whispers, a flirty smile on her face, and wraps her arms around his neck. She kisses him firmly.

His hands find her waist, one slipping down to squeeze her ass as he guides them over to the bed. She falls back on it with a giggle and he settles between her legs.

He looks down at her, her hair spread out behind her and her lips already swollen from his kisses, and almost blurts out, _I love you_.

Instead he buries his face in her neck and kisses the skin there. She moans at his attentions and sinks her fingers into his hair, scratching at his scalp.

"Juggie," she says breathlessly but he doesn't let up. "Juggie, I want to have sex. I want you to be my first."

Jughead pulls back abruptly.

"Right now? In Cheryl's house?"

She laughs. "No, not now. Next Friday. My mom's at some journalism conference overnight. We'll have the house to ourselves."

He swallows at the thought of being with her like that, being inside of her.

"Okay," he says softly. "Next Friday."

She grins and leans up to kiss him again. "Great! Now, where were we?"

 

 

 

On Friday, Jughead isn't sure how to prepare for the evening ahead. He takes a shower, combs his hair and leaves his beanie in his room, and puts on some of the cologne his dad bought him for Christmas. He wants her to want him but he doesn't want to seem too obvious about it.

Betty text him and told him to let himself in when he arrived, so he walks right inside when he gets to her house.

"Betty?" he calls out when he finds the ground floor empty.

"In here!" she shouts from her bedroom.

He walks up the stairs at a steady pace, not wanting to seem too eager. Her bedroom door is open just slightly and he takes a deep breath before he pushes it open.

He's not prepared for what he finds, _at all_.

The room is fairly dark, the only light coming from the bedside lamp. Betty is sat in the center of her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest. Her hair is loose around her shoulders and she's wearing a soft, blue nightdress. She's so fucking pretty he can't stand it.

He spots the towel on her bedside table and the flame of the scented candle on her desk and he realizes she's planned all of this. She's probably spent a significant part of her day setting up her room just so and the nightdress was probably a careful choice too.

It makes sense - Betty's a planner by nature. And it makes his chest ache when thinks about her putting that much care and attention into the night they're about to spend together.

It also makes him even more nervous. He needs to make this really good for her. It's not just her first time with him, it's her first time ever, and he wants her to think back on this night with only good memories.

"Hey," she says softly when he comes to stand beside her bed.

"Hey yourself," he replies. He runs his finger beneath the strap of her nightdress and she shivers. "This is nice. Pretty."

"Thanks." He knows he must look unsure of how to proceed so she takes the lead.

"Come here," she says, patting the space beside her on her bed.

He sits as close as he can, no space between them. She rises up onto her knees and kisses him softly, her hands resting on his knees. His hands reach up and sink into her hair and he pulls her closer, encouraging her to straddle him.

The weight of her in his lap feel so good, especially when she gently grinds against him, just enough to draw a moan from him.

Her hands slide down his chest and beneath his shirt and he's hard already. He brings one hand down to her waist, his fist bunching up the cotton beneath his hand. He uses his hand to gently guide her movements, rocking her back and forth until she's whimpering.

"Lie down," he says against her mouth.

She falls back against her flowery duvet, hair fanned out around her head like a golden halo. He pulls his shirt off and captures her lips again, brings himself between her legs. He thrusts against her and she lets out a noise of frustration.

"Take your clothes off," she whispers.

He unbuckles his pants and slips them off, along with his underwear. It's the first time she's ever seen him totally naked and she must like what she sees - as soon as he's back between her legs, her hands are running across his chest and his shoulder blades and his back.

"Can I take this off?" he asks, pulling on the hem of her dress.

She nods, lip trapped between her teeth. He knows she's probably feeling self-conscious but she must have noticed by now that he can't take his eyes off of her.

He lifts the article of clothing over her head in one smooth motion and the wind is knocked out of him when he looks down at her. She's completely nude, forgoing underwear beneath her pretty dress, and he's never seen anyone more perfect.

His skin is creamy and pale, full, round breasts tipped with pink nipples, and there's a small triangle of blonde hair above her center. She's beautiful, like something out of a painting, and he is unworthy.

"Look at you," he murmurs, mostly to himself, running his fingers down the plane of her stomach. He meets her gaze. "You're so beautiful. I swear, you're the best thing I've ever seen."

The words are just tumbling from his mouth, too affectionate for their casual relationship status, but she seems to like them. She blushes prettily, her smile shy, and the blush spreads across her chest. Her cups her breasts in his hands.

"I'm gonna make you feel so good," he says before he kisses her again.

She's wet already, hot and slick beneath his fingers, but he wants her soaked. It'll make things better for her when he pushes inside and he wants her to come before in case it doesn't happen during.

First he makes her come with his fingers and then his mouth. He pushes her through two orgasms as he buries his mouth between her thighs and his head hurts from her constant pulling at his hair. She's trembling when he pulls away from her and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

She kisses him hard, her tongue pushing past his lips, messy and delicious. He pulls her leg up around his hip and pushes his hips against her.

"Juggie, please, I need you."

He starts to back away but she pulls him closer, looking confused.

"I have a condom in my wallet," he explains.

She looks away shyly. "Um, we don't need one. I'm on the pill."

She knows he's not messing around with anyone else and this is her first time, but it's still a really big deal that she trusts him with this and wants to be this intimate with him. And the thought of being inside of her with no barrier between them...

He drops his forehead to her collarbone. "You're killing me, Betts."

She laughs, strokes her fingers through the hair at the back of his head.

"I was kind of hoping you would fuck me before that happened."

She is definitely going to put him in an early grave.

"Tell me if it hurts," he tells her as he braces himself above her.

She nods and takes a deep breath. He lines himself up and pushes inside slowly, watching her face for any signs of discomfort.

"Does it hurt?"

She shakes her head. "More uncomfortable but I want you to keep going."

He pulls his hips back and pushes forward again. She feels amazing, so hot and perfect around him. He buries his head in the crook of his shoulder, picks up the pace when her hands press against his lower back.

A surprised, "Oh," leaves her mouth after one particular thrust and it must be starting to feel good for her.

"Juggie," she sighs against his ear, the sweetest sound he's ever heard. "I want to try something."

She pushes against his shoulders and rolls him to his back, his cock still inside of her. She settles on top of him, hands on chest, and begins to rock herself back and forth, setting a pace that's good for her.

The new position puts her in control and she looks incredible chasing after her pleasure above him.

"Fuck," she curses quietly as she throws her head back and begins to move faster.

His left hand slides along her thigh and up to her hip, his right following the same path and moving further to tug at her nipple. She makes a breathy noise and he pumps his hips up into her.

He becomes lost in the pleasure, in the tight heat around him and the reality that he's actually doing this with Betty. He hips push up against her relentlessly, her reactions spurring him on, and he's losing control sooner than he'd like.

"Betty, shit. I'm gonna come," he gets out between harsh stuttered breaths.

"It's okay," she assures him, stroking the muscles in his stomach. "It's okay."

His grips her hips too tight and thrusts four times in quick succession and then he's coming inside her, shouting out her name, the best orgasm of his life pulled from him by her gorgeous body.

He slips out of her as she collapses beside him, one cheek pressed to her pillow.

"That was amazing."

He's still trying to catch his breath when he turns to her with a look of confusion.

"You didn't even come."

"I came three times before, Jug. I'm not complaining. And it still felt so good when you were inside me."

He turns on his side to face her. Her hair is sticking to her temples and her lips are red and swollen. She's perfect.

"Next time, you're going to come while I'm inside you."

"Next time?" she asks with a smirk. "Had a little taste and now you can't stay away?"

He strokes her cheekbone with his thumb.

"Something like that."

She rolls onto her back and reaches over to her bedside table to get the towel she had prepared earlier. She reaches down between her thighs to clean up the evidence of them and pulls a face.

"Sex is messy."

He chuckles. "The best kind always is."

She throws the towel in her hamper and lays out next to him, the length of her body pressed against him.

"The best kind? Was it really that good for you?"

He scoffs. "Have you seen yourself, Betty? It was the best as soon as you let me get you out of that nightdress."

She giggles. "Who knew sex would make you so cheesy and affectionate?"

He snorts. "Don't tell anyone. Don't want to ruin my reputation as an emotionless, cynical millennial."

She rolls her eyes at that.

"I like seeing this side to you," she admits, stroking a single finger along his collarbones and down his chest. "It makes me feel special that you've opened up to me."

"You _are_ special."

She doesn't know how important to him she really is.

She cups his cheek in her hand and kisses him, slow and thorough. It's a good kiss, the kind that would get him going again if he didn't think she'd be too sore.

She pulls back and rests her cheek against her hand.

"Will you stay?"

He swallows the lump in his throat. "Yeah."

She falls asleep with a little smile on her face; he watches her for hours, unable to rest.

 

 

 

When she opens her eyes, he's sat at the side of her bed, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Hey," she says, voice thick with sleep.

He turns to look at her. "Hey," he smiles, reaching out to cup her cheek and stroke her cheekbone.

She turns to kiss his palm.

"Are you leaving? My mom won't be back until lunchtime."

"I have an assignment I need to finish before tomorrow," he replies with a sad smile.

"Oh." She reaches out to slide her fingers through his. "Well call me if you need a break from schoolwork. I can be very distracting."

His laugh is low and quiet. "Tell me about it."

He leans forward to kiss her, just a peck, but she deepens it before he can pull away.

Before she went to sleep last night she had thought things were good between them - really good. He had been soft and sweet in the aftermath and she had wondered if he was feeling conflicted about their arrangement, like she was.

Or maybe it was the total opposite and he didn't want to have to turn her down.

She knows it was stupid and cliche to 'catch feelings', especially when she was the one to propose their arrangement in the first place and had insisted that them actually being together would never work. But feelings can change and hers certainly have.

She thought his had too - _God, the way he looked at her sometimes_ \- but now she's not so sure.

"I'll call you later," he promises when he's pulled away.

He gives her one last kiss and then he leaves. She waits five days for his call but she never receives it.

 

 

 

Jughead knows he's being an asshole but he's honestly trying to do the right thing. He wants to figure out his next step without making any rash decisions, and being around Betty makes him do stupid things.

He could throw caution to the wind and tell Betty he's in love with her, ignoring all of the shit that will hit the fan as a result. He's not sure if Betty loves him back but she definitely wants more from him than a casual relationship, and that's why that option just isn't going to work.

Deep down, he does know what the answer is but the thought of speaking to Alice about his feelings for her daughter makes him want to throw up. She's intimidating and has a lot of influence over Betty. There's a very real chance that she could forbid their relationship and Betty - not wanting to disappoint her mother - would agree, destroying any chance he has with her.

Still, he has to try. Alice is important to them both and he wants her blessing before he talks to Betty.

He finds her at her office, alone, working late. It's a common occurrence - she would always work long hours when she was in the middle of researching a big story.

Her eyebrows raise in surprise when she sees him. "Jughead. I thought you'd finished up the stuff you were doing with John?"

"I did."

"Then why are you here?" she asks, not impolitely.

"I wanted to talk to you." He drags a chair over to her desk and sits down. "It's about Betty."

She peers at him over her glasses. "Go on."

"I'm in love with her."

Alice blinks, not even slightly shocked.

"Do you... do you know?" he asks nervously. "About us?"

She sighs and takes her glasses off, places them on her desk.

"I suspected," she admits. "I saw the way you looked at her and then how she looked back. I didn't know if something was actually going on but when Betty started moping around the house and you stopped visiting, I assumed something had happened between you. And it wasn't anything good."

He slumps down in his chair. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," she says dismissively. "Her moods been a bit low - I'm assuming you're to blame for that - but you haven't blown it, if that's what you're worried about."

His brow furrows. "How are you so cool about all of this?"

She shrugs. "I got swept up in plenty of romances when I was Betty's age. In fact, that never stopped happening. I've been married three times for a reason." She smirks and it reminds him of Betty when she's making fun of him. "I don't appreciate the sneaking around, if that's what you've been doing, but you're a good man. You'll treat her well."

He nods. "And you're not bothered that we were once kind of related?"

"It's unconventional but you're not doing anything wrong. She was your step-sister, not your actual sister."

"Thank you!" His response is probably too enthusiastic but it's so nice to hear someone else finally make that distinction.

"Are you going to tell her how you feel?"

"Yes."

"Do you think she feels the same way?"

"I hope so."

She smiles wryly. "FP will be thrilled. He always loved Betty like she was his own. I think he'd happily settle for daughter-in-law."

Jughead chuckles. "Slow down there, Alice. I haven't even told her how I feel yet. She could reject me and tell me to never speak to her again."

Alice laughs, shaking. "You Jones men are always so dramatic. Talk to her, Jughead. And do it soon - I want her to stop moping."

 

 

 

It's late when Alice gets home and she finds Betty in bed, reading.

"Hey, sweetheart. Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," she says, closing her book and putting it on her bedside table. "What's up?"

"Jughead came to see me tonight."

She swallows. "Okay."

"He told me about the two of you."

"He did?" she asks quietly.

"Yes, and I want you to know that I'm not mad. And while I'm sure whatever he did to upset you was all his fault, I think you should hear him out when he comes to talk to you."

She scowls at that. "He's been ignoring me all week, mom."

She places her hand against Betty's knee. "I think he believes he's doing the right thing. The execution may not be great, but whatever decisions he's been making this week, he's definitely had you in mind."

Betty's eyes drop down to her lap and she mumbles, "I'll talk to him."

"Good." Alice leans in and kisses Betty's cheek. "Night, darling."

"Night, mom."

Her kids may need to work on handling their emotions better but she thinks they're going to be just fine.

 

 

 

He finds her in the living room. She's watching cartoons again - the Powerpuff Girls this time - curled up on the sofa.

She jumps when he sits down beside her.

"God, Jug, you scared me."

"Sorry," he mutters. "The front door was open and I didn't want to interrupt your show."

"It's okay," she says softly, averting her gaze and turning back to the TV.

He can't stand the awkwardness.

"I'm sorry for not calling," he blurts out.  "I've been acting like a jerk but I had to sort some stuff out."

"It's alright," she insists. "My mom says I should give you the benefit of the doubt and I trust her, so I will."

She smiles at him but it's small and it doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm going to stop acting like a jerk now. I promise."

Her head comes down to rest on his shoulder. "I believe you, Juggie."

They sit in silence, the noise from the TV the only sound in the room.

"Betts?" he says quietly.

"Yeah?" she responds, just as quiet.

"I think I'm in love with you."

"I think I'm in love with you, too."

He stretches his arm out to wrap around her shoulder and she presses herself closer. He kisses her hair.

"So what evil is going down in Townsville today?"

 

**Author's Note:**

> "There She Goes" is so 90s and so is Clueless! So happy I could use the lyrics for the title of this fic.
> 
> Kudos/comments are appreciated. ❤️


End file.
